Main Line 68 Replacement Project

As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and reliability of its natural gas pipelines, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline, LLC will be replacing an existing natural gas pipeline in and around Rifle City, Colorado. The replacement project is expected to take place between May and September 2017.

Overview and Schedule

NEED for the project: We are committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas transportation service at the lowest possible cost. In recent years, as part of our continuing efforts to maintain and enhance overall system integrity, we have begun replacing sections of our underground pipeline system. We will be replacing older pipe with modern, newer, and stronger pipe.

LOCATION: The Main Line 68 replacement project includes installation of approximately 9,425 feet of 14-inch diameter interstate natural gas pipeline through several North Rifle neighborhoods in Colorado. The attached maps show the approximate location of the project. Work will take place both in city streets and in easements on private property. The replacement will mostly occur parallel to our existing pipeline.

CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE: Allowing for weather and other demands, construction of the replacement project is expected to take place between May and September 2017. The schedule is subject to change without notice due to weather or other conditions.

QUESTIONS: For questions, concerns, additional information, or to sign up to receive weekly construction updates, call the Main Line 68 information line at 801-324-5521. Or you can email DominionEnergyWest.CorpComm@DominionEnergy.com and reference Main Line 68.

Project Updates

Asphalt, landscaping, etc., will proceed this week along 24th Street and some intersecting side streets above the lumber yard. Some minor traffic delays may occur as equipment moves in and out of the area.

The gun range west of town will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday for clean-up and hydro-seeding.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

Aug. 31, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., construction work continues west of Highway 13 (Under “Maps,” click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4). Work is expected to continue progressing through this area through Sept. 12. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing.

Restoration work (including asphalt replacement, sidewalk and curb work, and sprinkler and sod replacement) is continuing on all portions of the project, both east and west of Highway 13.

Work will continue to take place in the Valley Lumber parking lot, but customer parking and navigation will be maintained.

Cleaning and testing sections of the pipeline will continue over the next month.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays. Work will continue through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

Aug. 24, 2017 –Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., construction work continues west of Highway 13 (Under “Maps,” click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4). Work is expected to continue progressing through this area through Sept. 12. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing. Restoration work (including asphalt replacement, sidewalk and curb work, and sprinkler and sod replacement) will continue on all portions of the project, both east and west of Highway 13.

Work will continue to take place in the Valley Lumber parking lot, but customer parking and navigation will be maintained.

Cleaning and testing sections of the pipeline will continue over the next month.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

Construction work on the project continues west of Highway 13. (Under “Maps,” click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from west to east, through mid-August. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing. Asphalt replacement on 24th Street will take place next week: preparation on Monday, Aug. 14, and installation of asphalt Tuesday, Aug. 15. Construction will begin on the west end of 24th Street and will end at Howard Street. Traffic going into and out of side streets will be detoured around the construction site on Tuesday. Sidewalk and curbing work there is ongoing.

Work will progress into the Valley Lumber parking lot this week and next, but customer parking and navigation will be maintained.

On the east side of Highway 13 (ML68 Public Sheet 1), cleanup work is ongoing, including concrete, asphalt, sod and sprinkler repairs. Rifle Creek Park, where cleanup work is taking place, is still closed.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

August 3, 2017– Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., currently has two crews working in Rifle.

Construction work on the project continues west of Highway 13. (Click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from west to east, through mid-August. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing.

On the east side of Highway 13, cleanup work is ongoing, including concrete, asphalt, sod and sprinkler repairs. Rifle Creek Park, where cleanup work is taking place, is still closed.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

July 28, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., currently has two crews working in Rifle.

Construction work on the project continues west of Highway 13. (Click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from west to east, through mid-August. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing.

On the east side of Highway 13, cleanup work is ongoing, including concrete and sprinkler repair, including in front of the car wash. Sod and asphalt repair will follow shortly behind. Rifle Creek Park, where cleanup work is taking place, is still closed. Curb and gutter replacement on Acadia Avenue is complete, and asphalt work should begin as early as Aug. 1 or 2.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

July 20, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., currently has two crews working in Rifle.

Construction work on the project has commenced west of Highway 13. (Click ML68 Public Sheet 3 and ML68 Public Sheet 4.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from west to east, through mid-August. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing.

On the east side of Highway 13, cleanup work has initiated, including concrete and sprinkler repair. Sod and asphalt repair will follow shortly behind. Rifle Creek Park, where cleanup work is taking place, is still closed and will remain closed through the end of July.

Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

July 14, 2017 – The main pipeline crew is working through the apartment complex east of Highway 13 through about July 18. The crew will then move to the west end of 24th Street and begin working eastward. There will be traffic control and side street closures as the pipeline crew works through 24th Street during the next three weeks.

July 7, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., currently has two crews working in Rifle.

Construction work on the project continues east of Highway 13. (Click ML68 Public Sheet 1 and ML68 Public Sheet 2.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from east to west, through mid-July. Expect Rifle Creek Trail to be closed to the public, in this area, for approximately two to three weeks.

Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on 24th Street and the surrounding streets. Cutting work on 24th Street asphalt will begin July 6. On Monday, July 10, fences will be removed from the yards of some homes along the north side of 24th Street; the fences will be replaced with temporary chain-link panels during construction. Work may, or may not, continue on Sundays. (See ML68 Public Sheet 3 for a map of this area.) Minor traffic delays are to be expected in this area. However, traffic will be re-directed during this time to keep traffic flowing.

Beginning July 17, streets east of Highway 13 that have been under construction will be repaved.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment.

June 30-July 7 – Construction work is ongoing east of Highway 13. (Click the link under the "Maps" heading on the left side of this page. See ML68 Public Sheet 1 and 2.) Work will continue progressing through this area, from east to west, through late July. Expect Rifle Creek Trail to be closed to the public, in this area, for approximately one to two weeks. Work should be progressing up to 26th Street by July 7.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment. Traffic-control devices have been installed on Acacia Avenue and the surrounding streets. Minor traffic delays should be expected in this area. However, traffic will be re-directed through Acacia Court to keep traffic flowing.

Working hours may extend from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., including Sundays, depending on the project’s requirements.

There will be no construction work July 2-4.

June 23-30 – Construction work is ongoing east of Highway 13 near Rifle Creek. (Click the link under the "Maps" heading on the left side of this page. See ML68 Public Sheet 1 and 2.) Work will continue progressing through this area, from east to west, through late July. Expect Rifle Creek Trail to be closed to the public, in this area, for approximately two to three weeks.

Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment. Traffic-control devices have been installed on Acacia Avenue and the surrounding streets. Minor traffic delays should be expected in this area. However, traffic will be re-directed through Acacia Court to keep traffic flowing.

Working hours may extend from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., including Sundays, depending on the project's requirements.

There will be no construction work July 2-4.

June 15, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc., has completed construction west of Rifle City throughout the Rifle Gun Club area.

Construction work has commenced on the project east of Highway 13 near Rifle Creek. (Click the link under the "Maps" heading on the left side of this page. See ML68 Public Sheet 1 and 2.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from east to west, through mid-July. Expect Rifle Creek Trail to be closed to the public, in this area, for approximately three to four weeks. Please keep all children from playing around or near construction sites and construction equipment. Expect to see traffic-control devices installed on Acacia Avenue and the surrounding streets beginning June 19. Minor traffic delays are to be expected in this area. However, traffic will be re-directed through Acacia Court during this time to keep traffic flowing.

June 8, 2017 – Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services, Inc. will soon finish construction west of Rifle City throughout the Rifle Gun Club area. As this portion of the work is concluding, we ask the public to refrain from free-range shooting in this area until further notice. There also may continue to be heavy equipment and minor delays on Highway 13 at the CR 244 turn-off while equipment enters and leaves the area.

Beginning Monday, June 12, or Tuesday, June 13, work will begin on the project east of Highway 13 near Rifle Creek. (Click the link under the "Maps" heading on the left side of this page. See ML68 Public Sheet 1 and 2.) Work is expected to continue progressing through this area, from east to west, through mid-July.

Access for vehicular traffic will be maintained throughout, although it may be limited to a one-way flow during some periods. Door hangers with relevant information have been distributed, and will continue to be throughout the duration of the project.

May 15, 2017 – Dominion Energy Utah is commencing construction west of Rifle City throughout the Rifle Gun Club and to the west end of the project (ML68 Public Sheet 6-7 on "Map" tab). This section of work on the project will be from May 15 to June 15. The Rifle Gun Club will be closed during this time. We ask the public to refrain from free-range shooting in this area throughout the May 15-June 15 time frame.
Throughout these dates, expect to see heavy equipment and minor delays on Highway 13 at the CR 244 turn-off while equipment enters and leaves the area.

Construction Process

Dominion Questar Pipeline, LLC and our contractor are committed to completing this project safely and on schedule while minimizing as much as possible any inconvenience to local businesses and residents. To accomplish this, some work may be performed at night and on weekends. This will reduce impacts on morning and evening commutes. We will adhere to all city permitting requirements throughout the course of the work.

Construction Zones

For pipe buried beneath streets or highways, construction may require intermittent closures of one or more lanes of traffic. Driveways also may be occasionally blocked by excavation work, otherwise they will be plated to maintain access during business hours and at night and on weekends.

Before construction starts in front of any home or business, a representative will contact the owner or resident to discuss options for maintaining driveway access. Signs notifying the public that businesses remain open during construction are available.

To finish construction on schedule and as quickly as possible, the project is divided into sections, or "spreads." This allows multiple crews to work simultaneously at different locations. Work zones can range from a single intersection to several blocks long. At any one location the amount of time to cut pavement, install new pipe and replace asphalt can range from several days to several weeks.

The public can do its part to ensure construction proceeds safely and on time by finding alternative routes, driving carefully in construction zones and keeping children away from construction sites.

Questar Gas works closely with city and state transportation officials to ensure safety and minimize inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians. However, for public safety it may be necessary to temporarily close streets and sidewalks or restrict vehicle and pedestrian traffic. As mentioned, driveways may occasionally be blocked by excavation work. We will make every effort to keep these inconveniences as brief as possible. Your patience is appreciated.

If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us.

Steps During Construction

Following are brief descriptions of the steps involved in pipeline removal and construction:

Locate buried utilities - The area below city streets can be a maze of underground utilities. To avoid damaging these facilities, a procedure known as potholing is used prior to trenching to identify the exact vertical and horizontal location of existing infrastructure, including the pipeline to be replaced.

Dig trench - The majority of this pipeline replacement will occur at on offset from Questar Pipeline, LLC's existing line. For these segments of line the pavement is cut (if necessary) and removed and equipment is brought in to dig the trench. The depth of the natural gas pipeline trench will be determined by the location of the existing pipe and other utilities. As the trench is dug, the soil is loaded into trucks and hauled away for disposal in a designated landfill. For segments where the old pipe will be removed the same process will be followed, however, the old pipe will first be located and purged of gas (see Remove old pipe for more information).

Remove old pipe - Sections of pipe to be removed are cut into lengths, lifted from the trench, loaded onto trucks and hauled away for proper disposal.

Deliver and "string" new pipe - New pipe is manufactured and inspected to ensure it meets industry and federal safety standards. Pipe sections are then delivered by truck to the construction site where they are placed end-to-end (or "strung") on skids adjacent to the trench. If necessary, a hydraulic machine bends pipe sections to fit around obstacles or conform to the direction of the trench.

Weld new pipe together and coat - Welding crews join the sections of pipe together into a continuous length. Each welded joint is visually inspected, x-rayed and then coated for protection.

Lower pipe into trench - Using one or more tractors, crews lift and then carefully lower the welded sections of pipe into the trench. Final welds are made to "tie-in" any unconnected sections.

Backfill trench - Under streets, in place of the removed soil, a mixture known as "flowable fill" is used to backfill the trench. In other areas, the original soil is replaced.

Pressure test new pipe - After it's buried and before it's put into service, the entire length of new pipe is hydrostatically tested to ensure the integrity of the system. This is done by filling the pipe with water, pressurizing the system above its maximum operating conditions and holding the pressure for a specified time. The pipe is drained, cleaned and dried before put into service.

Clean-up and restore ROW - The final step is to repair the surface over the trench. If necessary, fences or sod may also be replaced.

Pipeline Safety

We take safety seriously. Since its founding in 1929, our company and its affiliates have engaged in every phase of natural gas service, from production and gathering to transportation and distribution. During that time, while delivering the clean and efficient natural gas our customers rely on daily for their comfort and livelihood, we have earned an enviable record for safety and reliability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this project necessary?

At Questar Pipeline LLC, we are committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas transportation service at the lowest possible cost.

In recent years, as part of our continuing efforts to maintain and enhance overall system integrity, we have begun replacing sections of our underground pipeline system. We will be replacing older pipe with modern, newer, and stronger pipe.

Will my natural gas service be affected by construction?

No. The local gas distribution system will not be affected by this replacement.

Will construction affect my property?

If your property is on or adjacent to the right-of-way, you will receive prior notification by mail alerting you to construction. Questar Pipeline, LLC works closely with residents and city officials to minimize potential impacts on residents' property. If Questar Pipeline, LLC does need to access its legal right-of-way to work on or near your property, the company will make reasonable efforts to ensure the landscape is returned as closely as possible to its previous state. This does not include replacement, repair or compensation for unauthorized structures, plants, objects and etc. currently located within the right-of-way.

Residents can make the process easier by making sure that items such as large, deep-rooted trees, concrete slabs, sheds, fences or other structures do not encroach upon Questar Pipeline, LLC's right-of-way. These items not only violate right-of-way policy but also pose a safety hazard and may hinder the company's ability to reach its pipeline in case of emergency or to perform necessary maintenance.

For more information about what is and is not allowed on pipeline rights-of-way, request a company brochure by contacting a Dominion Questar Pipeline, LLC representative at (801) 324-3856 or view our brochure.

Will streets be closed or access to private driveways restricted during construction?

Construction may require temporary lane closures and/or detours. During construction, we strive to maintain traffic in both directions on city streets at all times, however temporary lane restrictions can be expected.

Private driveways and access to side streets and business parking lots may also occasionally be temporarily blocked by excavation work. When not in use, open trenches will be plated to maintain access during business hours, at night and on weekends.

Any changes in traffic or access will be kept to a minimum and will be as brief as possible.

Before construction starts in front of your home or business, a company representative will contact you to discuss where you would like access maintained. Signs notifying the public that businesses are open during construction will be made available for those who request them.

For the latest information on traffic impacts and lane restrictions, visit this page, or request weekly construction updates via email by calling the Main Line 68 information line at 801-324-5521. Or, you can email Don.Porter@Questar.com and reference Main Line 68.

Residents can reduce the risk of accidents by driving carefully in construction zones and keeping children away from the construction site. Dominion Questar Pipeline, LLC works closely with city and state transportation officials to ensure safety and minimize inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians during construction.